K-films by women directors to be screened at Academy Museum in LA

South Korean women filmmakers will screen their works at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles this month, the second K-film project to be held in the American museum. According to the Korea Foundation, this special screening series, titled “A New Wave of K-Cinema: Korean Women Directors,” will run from Thursday until June 29th. The list of films includes contemporary films directed by Korean women such as Yim Soon-rye’s “Waikiki Brothers” (2001) and

June 6, 2023

[Herald Review] For some, owning a house feels sinful in film ‘Dream Palace’

In the poignant social realism film “Dream Palace,” Hye-jung (Kim Sun-young) hopes to begin a new life in an apartment building named Dream Palace with her son Dong-wook (Choi Min-young). The block stands tall in the middle of nowhere, located in somewhat awkwardly new suburb that this family feels unsuited to. But this new home is priceless to Hye-jung, because she has bought it with the compensation she received after her husband was killed in an industrial accident. After fighting

June 6, 2023

‘The Roundup: No Way Out’ rapidly attracts 4M viewers, breaks 7-year record

South Korean crime action franchise “The Roundup: No Way Out” starring Don Lee, also known as Ma Dong-seok, has attracted 4 million ticket sales just four days after the film’s opening on May 31, the record among local box office hits over the last seven years. According to the Korean Film Council, the highly anticipated sequel to "The Roundup" (2022) recorded 4.5 million ticket sales on the opening weekend, after surpassing the 2 million mark on Friday. The film has

June 5, 2023

Lotte Cinema to screen UEFA Champions League final

Lotte Cinema, a South Korean cinema operator, confirmed Monday that it will livestream this year’s Champions League final on June 11. A total of 10 screens, including Lotte Cinema World Tower, Gimpo Airport, Konkuk University, Pyeongchon, Suwon, Ulsan and Centum City will feature the clash of Manchester City and Inter Milan, according to the cinema chain. Lotte Cinema World Tower and Lotte Cinema Daejeon Central are scheduled to open two separate screens, one each for the respective team&#

June 5, 2023

[Herald Interview] Don Lee’s obsession with boxing powers his action franchise

The first image that’s normally associated with action star Don Lee, also known as Ma Dong-seok in South Korea, is his powerful punch in action flicks. He smacks down zombies with his bare hands in “Train to Busan” (2016) and delightfully brings a group of gangsters under his control in “The Roundup” series. Yet, the 51-year-old action star was also an average man who struggled to make ends meet by cleaning stairs and delivering takeout by motorcycle. Doing so many

June 4, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“The Last 10 Years” (Japan) Opened May 24 Romance/Drama Directed by Michihito Fujii Twenty-year-old Matsuri Takabayashi learns that she only has 10 years to live due to an incurable disease. She decides not to dwell on her life and not to fall in love, but then she meets Kazuto Manabe at a school reunion. “The Little Mermaid” (US) Opened May 24 Fantasy/Musical Directed by Rob Marshall Ariel, a spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure, discovers a world beyond

June 3, 2023

Ex-BIFF staff member alleges sexual abuse by former executive director

A former staff member of the Busan International Film Festival has alleged sexual abuse by ex-BIFF Executive Director Huh Mun-young, who offered to resign on May 11. According to a local news report, the former staff member reported Huh to the Center for Gender Equality in Korean Film for sexual abuse. The staff member reportedly received counseling from the center until recently. Huh is alleged to have ordered the staff member to perform unfair tasks at work, as well as using inappropriate lang

June 1, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“The Little Mermaid” (US) Opened May 24 Fantasy/Musical Directed by Rob Marshall Ariel, a spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure, discovers a world beyond the sea. After falling for the dashing Prince Eric, Ariel makes a deal with Ursula, an evil sea witch, to experience life on land. “The Last 10 Years” (Japan) Opened May 24 Romance/Drama Directed by Michihito Fujii Twenty-year-old Matsuri Takabayashi learns that she only has 10 years to live due to an in

May 27, 2023

Kim Jee-woon’s ‘Cobweb’ receives 10-minute standing ovation at Cannes

“Cobweb,” director Kim Jee-woon's first feature film in 13 years and his third project, was screened at the 76th Cannes Film Festival Thursday night local time, where it received a 10-minute standing ovation. Starring veteran actor Song Kang-ho, “Cobweb” revolves around the struggles of a film director (Song) in the 1970s when the industry languished due to government censorship and unsupportive actors. The cast includes actors Lim Soo-jeong, Oh Jeong-se, Jeon Yeo-be

May 26, 2023

Song Joong-ki attends Cannes after pro bono performance in ‘Hopeless’

Actor Song Joong-ki attended the 76th Cannes Film Festival for the first time in his 15 year acting career with his action thriller flick “Hopeless.” Invited as part of the Out of Competition category, the low-budget “Hopeless” is director Kim Chang-hoon's long feature debut film. Rookie actors Hong Sa-bin and Kim Hyeong-seo, also known as singer Bibi, were next to Song during the film's world premiere and the red carpet event prior to the screening on Wednesday

May 25, 2023

[Reporter’s Note] What ‘0 Korean films’ in competition at Cannes really means

Global attention for Korean cinema reached a peak when director Bong Joon-ho won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for his darkly comic thriller “Parasite” in 2019. He was the first Korean director to win the top award at Cannes, after last appearing in competition with “Okja” (2017). He was also the second Asian winner in consecutive years, following Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s triumph with “Shoplifters” (2018). After skipping a

May 24, 2023

[Herald Review] ‘The Roundup: No Way Out’ sticks to tried-and-true action comedy formula

Don Lee is undoubtedly top dog when it comes to the crime action genre in Korea, and does little to disappoint fans with the third film starring combative detective Ma Seok-do. Just like its smash-hit predecessors “The Outlaws” (2017) and “The Roundup” (2022), threequel “The Roundup: No Way Out” diligently adheres to the action comedy formula -- action-packed scenes and a simple but satisfying plot line of a lead character knocking down villains -- of course i

May 23, 2023

‘Sleep,’ ‘Project Silence’ premiere at 76th Cannes Film Festival

Two Korean films invited to noncompetition categories at the 76th Cannes Film Festival each held screenings with the directors and main actors receiving the spotlight on the red carpet and at the theater after their world premieres. Director Kim Tae-gon’s “Project Silence” was scheduled for 12:30 a.m. Monday in Cannes, as it was invited to the Midnight Screening, an out-of-competition section dedicated to films with popular appeal and artistic value. Main actors Lee Sun-kyun, J

May 22, 2023

Kim Seon-ho makes film debut with ‘The Childe’

Actor Kim Seon-ho, who had been keeping a low profile after being embroiled in a scandal in 2021, is making his silver screen debut with director Park Hoon-jung’s new noir action film “The Childe.” Before starting the press conference to promote his new film on Monday, Kim apologized for the inconvenience caused due to earlier rumors surrounding his personal life. His ex-girlfriend in 2021 claimed he coerced her into getting an abortion. He admitted to pressuring her. “I&

May 22, 2023

DiCaprio and Scorsese score raves at star-packed Cannes

CANNES, France (AFP) -- Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese were set for a victory lap at Cannes on Sunday after their Native American crime epic, "Killers of the Flower Moon" scored rave reviews, while the festival prepared to bow down before Jude Law as King Henry VIII. Scorsese's latest opus, about a wave of murders among oil-rich Osage Indians in the 1920s, was showered in words like "searing," "triumph" and "masterpiece" by critics who scored

May 21, 2023

[Herald Review] ‘Black Knight’ shows evolution of Korean dystopian flicks

From “Time To Hunt” (2020) to “Jung_E” (2023), Netflix has worked on a number of Korean dystopian movies, but not all audience were so fascinated by it. With “Black Knight,” which talks about a deliveryman in a violent desert wasteland in 2071, Netflix has pushed things forward, with strong characters and sophisticated CGI. Based on the webtoon “Delivery Knight,” director Jo Ui-seok said he reorganized the list of characters to add dynamics between

May 21, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Fast X” (US) Opened May 17 Action/Adventure Directed by Louis Leterrier The tenth film in the Fast & Furious Saga, the film tells a story of Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) who must protect his crew and family from Dante Reyes, the son of drug lord Hernan Reyes, seeking revenge over the loss of his family's fortune. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (US) Opened April 26 Animation/Adventure Directed by Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic A 2023 computer-animated adventure

May 20, 2023

[Herald Interview] Kim Woo-bin talks about right to be happy, loved

Netflix's dystopian drama “Black Knight” is actor Kim Woo-bin’s third project since he returned to acting in 2022 after being diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer and ceasing all activities in 2017. It was director Jo Ui-seok who, having filmed the 2016 action flick “Master” with Kim, led the actor to star in his first-ever Netflix project. The two reportedly exchanged ideas during the planning stage for “Black Knight.” “I was thinking about

May 18, 2023

BIFF leadership comes under fire after executive director, chairperson resign

Busan International Film Festival, Asia’s largest, has come under fire for a string of leadership changes that has exposed internal differences over how the festival should be run. BIFF Executive Director Huh Mun-young and BIFF Chairperson Lee Yong-kwan submitted their resignations in the space of a week, following the appointment of Cho Jong-guk as head of operations on May 9. Huh, who had been appointed to lead the festival in March 2021, turned in his resignation on Thursday, less than

May 16, 2023

[Herald Interview] Kim Hye-sook stresses passion as key to being good animator

“The world compliments those who have a clear dream early on and achieve their goals by working hard. I felt that is how I should live as well,” said Kim Hye-sook, a San Francisco-based Pixar senior animator, in an online interview with The Korea Herald earlier this month. “But that is not how I became an animator,” she said. “I was just an ordinary student who loved to read comics after the class was over.” Growing up in the small county of Hongseong, South C

May 15, 2023